My Ghost
by NeitherHaveIWings2Fly
Summary: Beneath her determined and somewhat grating exterior, Rachel Berry had a heart." Rachel-centric with a little Finn, Quinn, and Puck interaction. Post-Sectionals.


My Ghost

AN: So, my love for Glee knows no bounds. This is the first of what should be many Glee fics. Each section starts with lyrics from Glass Pear's "My Ghost" (Which is a beautiful song that I don't own, except for the version on my iPod).

And, for the general disclaimer, I don't own Glee. Also, I'm in love with Mark Salling. That is all for now.

_Lovers come and lovers go,  
Once they lived but now they're ghosts,  
Walking the streets they used to know like shadows._

Quinn walked up to her locker. It had been another day of silence. Santana hated her now for "stealing" Puck. Brittany followed Santana. The Gleeks had backed out of it, not knowing whose side to pick, since everyone involved had at one time or another mocked or abandoned them. And Finn… he wouldn't come near her. She was still staying at his house, by the grace of his mother, but she stayed in her makeshift room most of the time and he left early for school to avoid her.

As she opened her locker, a piece of paper fell out. She picked it up and saw her name scrawled across the folded sheet. Confused, she opened it.

_I'm pretty sure, through all of this, that nobody has really told you how brave you are. You've given up your time, your family, your reputation, and a lot more to save a life and bless someone else's. No matter what else happens, remember that._

_And don't give up on him. I'm not sure if anyone's said that either._

She looked up quickly, scanning the hall for a clue of who had left the note. When she met two pairs of eyes, she realized she wasn't alone.

_Who can you trust, in this place?  
In whom can I put my faith?  
If you're real, then show me now  
Who you are._

Puck wanted to hit something. Nothing had been resolved with Quinn, Finn was staying away from him (probably to keep from kicking his ass), and even Mike and Matt were avoiding him. Santana blocked his number and had started some nasty rumors about him with the other Cheerios, blocking any hookups with them. And even the stupid Gleeks were treating him like a pariah. For such drama queens they sure were trying to avoid drama.

He opened his locker, grabbed his stuff, and was about to slam the door shut when he saw something white. A piece of paper was taped to the inside of the door. Who would break into his locker just to leave a note?

_I know you pride yourself in being all tough and badass, but all that's going to do is leave you alone. You can't just assume that time will fix this. You need to apologize, because I know you know you did something wrong. If you didn't feel guilty you wouldn't care. And I know you well enough to know there's a good guy in there._

He read it a couple of times, once again wondering who the hell would write it and then put it in his locker. A glance around the hall let him know he wasn't the only confused one.

_How can I love, without grace?  
Shine a light on your face  
If you're real, then show me now,  
Who you are._

Finn was seriously contemplating switching high schools. The Gleeks, including Rachel, kept giving him the pity eye, and he didn't even want to be around anyone else. Football was over, so it was Glee or nothing.

It was finally the end of the day and he could go home. He opened his locker and saw a folded up paper sitting on top of his backpack.

_We all make mistakes. In the time I've known you well enough to call you a friend, I've seen you make some relationship challenging ones. They made a mistake, yes, but she loves you and wants you to be the father. And he may be an idiot, but if he didn't care, he wouldn't want things to be square between you two. _

_The auditorium is free for the next hour. _

Finn looked around and saw Quinn and Puck with what he assumed was the same confused look he had on his own face. He walked to the middle of the hall and they walked over to him. There was a nice long moment of silence before he finally asked, "You guys free right now?"

_And when I turn to see your face,  
I saw a joy I could not place,  
Vanishing without a trace,  
Like a shadow in the sun._

Rachel was perfectly tucked in the corner of the hall where none of her peers could see her. It had taken soul searching and not a few tears to get to this point, but as she watched the scene unfold in front of her, she knew that she had chosen the right path.

Beneath her determined and somewhat grating exterior, Rachel Berry had a heart. Her love of romantic comedies and musicals had taught her that sometimes love was beyond what you wanted. The lyrics of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" had gotten to her and she had decided to put her romantic inclinations aside and to instead try to put her friends first. Well, Finn was the only one she'd call a real friend. But, recent interactions with both Quinn and Noah had given her hope of potential friendships.

She had told Mr. Schue that she needed the auditorium for a Glee project, which was technically true.

As the three began to head down the hallway, Rachel started down the opposite way, hoping her superior acting skills would mask the fact that she was watching them. As they passed her, she gave a gentle, "Hey", and would have continued, if a hand had not grabbed her and pulled her back. She turned and was surprised to be face to face with Noah.

"I figure your freaky memory is the reason you knew my locker com?" She smiled in assent, and for a second she saw a shadow of a smile from him. "Thanks, Berry." He turned and followed Quinn and Finn. She wanted to sneak in, and maybe see if things would work out, but instead she went out to her car and drove home. She had played her part.

_If you're real then show me now,  
Who you are._

My ghost.


End file.
